Metal strip cutter



Dec. 12, 1950 w. E. NORTHCUTT METAL STRIP CUTTER Filed Aug. 14, 1948 Q 5 (a @R m6 W 6 w. My 8Q N m QQM Q Q WuW/ w M i=1 Q Patented Dec. 12, 1950 2,533,612 ICE METAL STRIP CUTTER Walter E. Northcutt, Chebanse, Ill'-., assigno'n to Manco Mfg. 00., Bradley, 11L, a corporation of' Illinois Application August 14,1948, SerialN'o. 44,357

Claims. 1

This invention relates to cutting tools, and has to do with a tool for cutting metal strip such as metal strapping, commonly used for securing shipments of merchandise.

It is known to. provide cutting tools of the character above referred to but,.in general, the known tools are of rather expensive construction, do not curacy in cutting metal strip while avoiding possibility of jamming of the metal strip being out between the cutting elements of the tool. More specifically, I provide a cutting tool comprising pivotally connected handle levers with I associated cutting elements, the levers being provided' with cooperating means whereby twisting or relative transverse movement of cutting elements during the cutting operation is effectively guarded against, thereby assuring ease and accuracy in the cutting operation and effectively guarding against distortion andjamming of thin metal strip between the cutting elements of the tool. Turther, I- provide a base for the cutting head of the tool having a flat undersurface of substantial area effective for preventing tilting of'the tool during the cuttingoperation, the tool head comprising a rib extending upward from the base and providing, in cooperation with elements engaging about said rib, means effectively guarding against relative transverse movement-of the handle-levers, this rib being connected to the base by a reinforcing boss intowhich the slot for receiving the metal strip extends, the outer end portion of theslot being thereby substantially'increased in width to reduce likelihood of distor- 1 tion or bending of the metal strip in the latter portionof the cutting operation. Further objects" and advantages of my invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan View of 'a cutting tool embodying my invention, the handle levers being broken away;

Figure 2 is a side view of the tool of Figure 1,

'with the handle levers broken away;

invention, the handle levers being broken away in ajor portion; and

Figure dis; a front view of the tool of Figure 5.

The tool of my invention comprises two handle levers Iii and H referred to, for purposes of description, as the upper handle and the lower handle" lever, respectively. The handle lever H is of I crosssecticn for the major portion of" its lengthand is provided, at its rearward end, with an upwardly ofiset handle I2, and, adjacent the forward end" of handle l2, with outwardly tapering ears i3 offset downward ashort' distance from the body portion of the handle lever H, the under faces of the ears i3 being flat for seating upon a'flat surface such as. a wall of a crate or container in which. goods are shipped; and which is secured by metal strapping, or any other flat surface. The: cars 13, when seating on a hat surface such asrthat above referred to, reduce likelihood of lateral tilting of handle lever H as will be. understood;

The forward. end. portion of the shank of handle lever H is thickened and offset to one side to" provide a mounting element or pad. [4 the. other: side of: which is concaved as shown Figure This pad Ht receives a shank l5 extending from. a head IS. The inner face of shank l5 is convexed so; as to extend into the -COI1'C'aVediSidE of pad 114, as shown in Figure 4,

and the shank i5 is rigidly-secured to pad 14 ina suitable manner, as by means of screws 15a, which may be socket headed screws of known type. The head It may" be secured to handle lever M. in any suitablemanner so as to be rigid therewith and constitute a forward v extension thereof,v or may he formed integrally with lever H, as will appear more fully later; The lever H may be of forged steeland' thehead- I5 is formed of a good grade of tool steel, for which reason,

. particularly in the larger tools, the head It is formedfseparately from lever H and is suitably secured thereto.-

The head it comprises a base element ll and a, rib Id disposed lengthwise of, and. extending upward from,.base element l1 atone side thereof. This rib= i=8 is of'substantially rectangular. cross 'sectionand' thehead' 1-6: is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined slot l9 extending transversely thereof between rib l-8 and base element Fl. This base element il projects forwardly; a: material distance beyond rib i8, is slightly reduced"- in width at its forward portion Ha; and has its forward end beveled downward and forward at [81p for insertion betweena metal bandor strap andiacrate or other shipping. con tainer about which metal strapping is secured. As willbe understood,,.the head [6 is forced beheath the metal strip, or strap until the latter is properly positioned within the slot IQ for and being there of materially increased width.

That provides increased supporting surface for the metal strip being cut, during the latter portion of the cutting operation, thereby reducing likelihood of bending or distortion of the metal strip as it is out.

The handle lever H1 is provided, at its forward portion, with a hood 2| which may be formed integral with lever l and constitutes a forward extension thereof. This hood 2| is of substantially rectangular cross section and comprises side walls 22 and 23 connected, at their upper edges, by a bight element 24.. The side surfaces of rib it are vertical and flat or planar, and the inner surface of side wall 22 of hood 2| is movable along the corresponding side surface of the rib id in contact therewith. A cutting blade 25, formed of high grade tool steel and shaped as shown in Figure 2, is disposed at the inner face of the other side Wall 23 of hood 2| and is secured thereto, by a screw 26 passing through side wall 23 and threaded into blade 25 adjacent the rearward upper portion thereof, and a pivot bolt 27 passing through both Walls 22 and 23 of hood 2| and through rib H3 and blade 25 adjacent the forward end thereof. The head of bolt 27 contacts the outer side of side wall 22 of hood 2| and a nut 28, threaded on the other end of bolt 21, contacts the outer side of wall 23 of hood 2|, this nut 28 being preferably a self-locking nut of known type. The blade 25 is of such thickness that it seats against the adjacent side of rib l8 and is movable therealong in close contact therewith. The lower cutting edge of blade 25 is arched or curved toward slot l9, as will be clear from Figure 2, in which the lower edge of blade 25 is indicated by the reference number 351. The height of blade 25 is such that when handle lever it], provided at its outer end with handle 3|, reaches the end of its movement toward handle lever blade 25 extends across and downward Movement of handle lever ||l toward handle lever H is limited by a bumper 32, preferably formed of rubber or like elastic material, carried by a pin33 slidable through an embossment 34 of handle lever Hi, the outer end of this pin being peened over at 35. The bumper 32 is disposed to contact with a boss 36 of the pad or mounting element M of the lower handle lever As will be understood from what has been said, the tool handle levers l0 and II are pivoted together, adjacent the forward end of rib l8 and transversely thereof, by the bolt 21 for relative movement one toward and away from the other. In the use of the tool, the handle lever I0 is moved into such position that the blade 25 is clear of slot I9, and the tool is then positioned so that the metal strip or strap to be cut is disposed within the slot l9. The handle lever I is then moved toward the handle lever H and the metal strip is cut by the blade 25 in cooperation with the base element H of head Hi. The curvature of the cutting edge 30 of blade 25 is such that the shear of the out being made increases progressively toward the rearward or outer end of slot IS in the cutting operation. That is advantageous in reducing the force required to cut the metal strip as the effective length of the handle lever Ill decreases, thereby facilitating cutting of the metal strip. By increasing the width of the slot I9 at the area of boss 20, increased support is provided for the metal strip at the area thereof last out, thereby reducing likelihood of bending or distortion of that area 9f the strip as it is cut. As previously noted, the

beyond slot IQ for the full length of the latter.

, 4 underface of base element H of head I6 is flat or planar and is of much greater area than the horizontal cross sectional area of rib l8. That provides a firm foundation for the cutting head it during the cutting operation, thereby guarding against objectionable lateral tilting of the tool while the metal strip is being cut, which is conducive to ease and accuracy of the cutting operation. Further, the wall or flange 22 of hood 2| is in close contact with the corresponding side surface of rib l8, during the cutting operation, and blade 25 is in close contact with the corresponding side surface of rib l8 as it moves downward therealong for cutting the metal strip. The wall or flange 22 of hood 2! and the blade 25 thus cooperate with rib I8 effectively to restrain twisting or relative transverse movement of the handle levers l0 and II during cutting of the metal strip and assure that the out will be effected without bending or jamming of the strip between the blade 25 and the cutting head, particularly when cutting thin metal strip or strapping, which is desirable for obvious reasons.

In the modified form of tool shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cutting head |6a is formed integrally with the lower handle lever Ila, and the cutting blade 25a is formed integrally with side wall or flange 23a of hood 2|a, as a downward extension thereof. This flange 23a, including blade 25a, of hood 2|a, is disposed in close contact with the corresponding side surface of rib l8, and the other flange 22a of hood 2|a is disposed in close contact with the corresponding side surface of rib H3. The construction and operation of the tool of Figures 5 and 6 are otherwise the same as in the tool of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, and need not be described in greater detail. Since the cutting blade 25a and the cutting head l6a should be formed of a good grade of tool steel, and are formed integrally with the handle levers lira and Ha, respectively, which also are formed of the same grade of steel, that is, high grade tool steel, the construction shown in Figures 5 and 6 ordinarily would be employed for the smaller sizes of tools only, due to the expense involved.

It will be understood that changes in detail may be resorted to without departing from the field and scope of my invention, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in have been disclosed.

I claim:

1. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a pair of a similarly directed handle levers pivoted together at their forward ends for relative movement about a transverse axis one toward and away from the other, one of said levers having a transverse slot extending rearward beyond said pivot axis and open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, and a cutting blade carried by the other lever disposed to transverse said slot and having a cutting edge disposed to cut metal strip in said slot progressively from the forward edge to the strip toward the rearward edge thereof whereby the strip as it is out is urged toward the rear of said slot.

2. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a pair of similarly directed handle levers pivoted together at their forward ends for relative movement about a transverse axis one toward and away from the other, one of said levers having a trans verse slot extending rearward beyond said pivot axis and open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, a cutting blade carried by the other lever at one side of said one lever and disposed to traverse said slot, said blade having a cutting edge disposed to cut metal strip in said slot progressively from the forward edge of the strip toward the rearward edge thereof, and cooperating interfitting elements carried by said levers restraining them against relative transverse movement in the cutting operation, said interfitting elements comprising an element fixed to said other lever and extending along said one lever at the side thereof opposite to said blade.

3. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a pair of handle levers, means pivoting said levers together at their forward ends for relative movement about a transverse pivot axis one toward and away from the other, said levers both extending in the same direction from said pivot axis, one of said levers having a transverse slot extending rearward beyond said pivot axis and open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, a cutting blade carried by the other lever disposed to traverse said slot and having a cutting edge disposed to cut metal strip in said slot progressively from the forward edge of the strip toward the rearward edge thereof, and cooperating interfltting elements carried by said levers restraining them against relative transverse movement in the cutting operation.

4. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a lower handle lever provided with a forwardly extending head comprising a base element and an upwardly extending rib with a transverse slot between them open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, an upper handle lever pivoted at its forward end to said rib for movement toward and away from said lower lever, a cutting blade carried by said upper lever movable along said ribat one side thereof in contact therewith and disposed totraverse said slot, and an element carried by said upper lever movable along said rib at the other side thereof in contact therewith, said element and blade in cooperation with said rib restraining said levers against relative transverse movement in the cutting operation.

5. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a lower handle lever provided with a forwardly extending head comprising a base element and an upwardly extending rib with a transverse slot between them open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, said rib being of substantially rectangular cross section with planar side surfaces, an upper handle lever having a forwardly extending member straddling said rib provided with an element movable along one side of said rib in contact therewith, said member being pivoted at its forward end to the forward end of said rib transversely thereof, and a cutting blade carried by said member movable along said rib at the other side thereof in contact therewith and disposed to traverse said slot,

6. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a lower handle lever provided with a forwardly extending head comprising a base element and an upwardly extending rib with a transverse slot between them open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, said rib being of substantially rectangular cross section with planar side surfaces, an upper handle lever having a forwardly extending hood substantially conforming to and movable over said rib in contact with one side thereof, said hood being pivoted at its forward end to the forward end of said rib transversely thereof, and a cutting blade carried by said hood movable along said rib at the other side thereof in contact therewith and disposed to traverse said slot.

7. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a lower handle lever provided with a forwardly extending head comprising a base element and an upwardly extending rib with a transverse slot between them open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, said rib being of substantially rectangular cross section with planar side surfaces, and an upper handle lever having a forwardly extending member straddling said rib pivoted thereto transversely thereof and comprising two side walls movable along the sides of said rib in contact therewith, one of said side walls providing a cutting blade disposed to traverse said slot.

8. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a lower handle lever provided with a forwardly extending head comprising a base element and an upwardly extending rib with a transverse slot between them open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, said base element projecting a material distance beyond said rib at one side thereof and being connected to said one side of said rib by a reinforcing boss into which said slot extends and is there of materially increased width, an upper handle lever pivoted at its forward end to said rib transversely thereof, and a. cutting blade carried by said upper lever mo-vable along said rib at the other side thereof and disposed to traverse said slot.

9. In a tool for cutting metal strip, a lower handle lever provided with a forwardly extending head comprising a base element and an upwardly extending rib with a transverse slot between them open at its forward end for reception of metal strip, said base element projecting a material distance beyond said rib forward and to one side thereof and being connected to said one side of said rib by a reinforcing boss into which said slot extends and is there of materially increased width, an upper handle lever pivoted at its forward end to said rib transversely thereof, the under face of said base element being planar providing a supporting surface of materially greater width than said rib and the forward end of said base element being beveled downward and forward, and a cutting blade carried by said upper lever movable along said rib at the other side thereof and disposed to traverse said slot.

10. In a tool for cutting metal strip, two handle levers pivoted together adjacent their forward ends, cooperating base and cutting members carried by said handle levers respectively at the forward ends thereof, said base member having a fiat under face and being beveled downwardly and forwardly at its forward portion for insertion beneath metal strip to be out, one of said handle levers having a flat surface at its outer side adjacent the cutting area of the tool, and a guide member of substantially rectangular cross section fixed to the other handle lever extending therefrom across said one handle lever and along said flat surface in close proximity thereto and in cooperation therewith restraining said handle levers against relative transverse movement outwardly.

WALTER E. NORTHCUTT.

REFERENCES CITED Name Date OConnell Jan. 23, 1894 Number 

